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A legal question and answer column for seniors.

I worry about identity theft and I am careful with my personal information. However, I'm wondering if there are ways I can be pro-active and take further steps to protect my identity?

Signed, Margaret

The "Minnesota ID Theft Freeze Law" is a new tool available to protect yourself from identity theft. It allows you to freeze your credit report by requesting a credit report freeze from the consumer reporting agencies. This freeze stops identity thieves from obtaining your credit history, and prevents them from opening new credit accounts in your name. It does not stop creditors from placing credit information on your reports.

As you may know, identity thieves can use a victim's good credit history in combination with the victim's name and Social Security Number to open new accounts including credit cards, checking accounts, utility accounts, and taking out loans in the victim's name. This is known as "new account fraud" and will impact the victim when the thieves neglect to pay the credit back and the creditors look to the victim for payment.

The "ID Theft Freeze Law," effective August 1, 2006, will stop this. Anyone can request a freeze on their credit report under this law. There is a small fee of $5 to each of the consumer reporting agencies to get the credit freeze. However, victims of identity theft who can provide a police report or case number documenting the theft to the consumer reporting agencies will not be required to pay the $5 fee. The credit reporting agencies must place the freeze on the reports within 3 days of the request and provide a unique PIN number to you within 10 days of the request. This freeze will remain in place until you request that the agencies remove it.

Once the freeze is in place, no one will be able to obtain credit by use of the credit reports, including you. In order for you to obtain credit, you must use your PIN number and contact the credit reporting agencies to "thaw" your credit reports. It is advisable to plan ahead, as this may take up to 3 business days. If you know the specific company that you wish to obtain credit with, you can limit the thaw to just that creditor. You can also thaw your credit reports for a specific period of time, allowing you to apply for credit with multiple companies. After the specified time, your credit reports will automatically re-freeze.

Because you will have to contact all three of the major credit reporting agencies to request a credit freeze, contact information is given below. (You can request instructions from each on how to request the credit freeze.)

1. Experian Security Freeze

PO Box 9554

Allen, TX 75013

Phone: (972) 390-4172

http://www.experian.com/

consumer/ security freeze.html

2. Equifax Security Freeze

PO Box 105788

Atlanta, GA 30348

http://www.econsumer.equifax.com/consumer/

sitepage.ehtml?forward=cs_cpo_howto

3. TransUnion Security Freeze

PO Box 6790

Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

Phone: (888) 909-8872

http://www.transunion.com/corporate/personal/

fraudIdentityTheft/restoring/securityFreeze.page

I hope this information is helpful. Besides being vigilant in safeguarding your personal information, this new law gives you another option in protecting yourself from identity theft. For more information, you may wish to contact the Minnesota Attorney General's Office at 1-800-657-3787, or online at www.ag.state.mn.org.

This column is written by the Senior Citizens' Law Project. It is not meant to give complete answers to individual questions. If you are 60 years of age or older and live within the Minnesota Arrowhead Region, you may contact us with questions for legal help by writing to: Senior Citizens' Law Project, Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota, 302 Ordean Bldg., Duluth, MN 55802. Please include a phone number and return address. To view previous articles, go to: www.lasnem.org. Reprints by permission only.